Gardening - Aussie style!
Oct 1st 2013, 1:05 am
#31
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,217
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Your chooks are lucky to get fresh greens, I hope they're repaying you with lots of eggs!
Oct 1st 2013, 8:07 am
#32
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Yup, one egg per hen per day and the eggs seem to taste better with the extra greens too
Are you moving back to the UK?
Oct 3rd 2013, 2:54 am
#33
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,217
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Good chookies, nothing better than fresh eggs. Yes, Brit husband and I will move to his hometown of Liverpool. We've bought an offplan apartment that's due for completion in June 2015, although between the lack of info from the developer and the solicitor not returning emails or calls for weeks, that could go pear shaped yet!
Oct 4th 2013, 3:24 pm
#34
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
We have a very small house (easy to maintain) and an acre - but only about 2/3rds needs maintaining. Mowing with rideon not too bad.
Oct 4th 2013, 5:02 pm
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
a) A second hand one - Ebay. 1000 dollars or below. Several hundred gets you a mess, ~700 gets you something working..?
b) A cheap, new one from a big store (even Bunnings) at a few thousand.
If your grass and area is easy then this might be the go.
c) A more expensive one from a 'sexier' manufacturer.
d) An Aussie made one for local conditions. Greenfields are popular and look simple. People like to scoff at claims about Aussie conditions but there is a lot of tough stuff out there.
Not sure about prices.
Some are geared forward and back (like mine) others have clutches which allow you to move back and forward with a pedal. Others are designed to turn in tight corners like in orchards but sort of look arse about face. My son like the 'tractor' looking ones.
The best mower might even be one from a neighbour where you know the history and has been running and the owner is upgrading or one sold with a house.
They are fairly easy to fix. I suspect that older ones might be better built.
Some have twin cylinder? designs, twin blades, and a fair bit of power. Mine is only 13bhp, single blade and 38inches in cut. Good enough for me. Newer ones have more power and bigger cuts.
After hand-mowing for 3 summers, I got one eventually from a friend upgrading - and moving to a bigger property. It's a 15 year old MTD - a basic 'modern generation' tractor-looking design you see a lot around the traps. It's described as a US lawn manicurer but mine does well on our 'paddock' area up and down slopes.
I actually mow the yard area by hand (pushing) still once a week as the grass grows so fast I need to mow it short and to catch the clippings - and my rideon does not have a catcher. This is the only thing I wish I had.
My wife maintains I could mow by pushing but this is over 60minutes worth of work every weekend and she does not have to do it. She maintains it will keep me from gaining weight!
Take the battery off in the winter and keep it charged. I am a big lazy See You Next Tuesday and I go through a fair few.
Oct 4th 2013, 6:00 pm
#37
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 20,821
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
hmmmm....No. What I can do is tell you what's out there and what we did. The choice is..
a) A second hand one - Ebay. 1000 dollars or below. Several hundred gets you a mess, ~700 gets you something working..?
b) A cheap, new one from a big store (even Bunnings) at a few thousand.
If your grass and area is easy then this might be the go.
c) A more expensive one from a 'sexier' manufacturer.
d) An Aussie made one for local conditions. Greenfields are popular and look simple. People like to scoff at claims about Aussie conditions but there is a lot of tough stuff out there.
Not sure about prices.
Some are geared forward and back (like mine) others have clutches which allow you to move back and forward with a pedal. Others are designed to turn in tight corners like in orchards but sort of look arse about face. My son like the 'tractor' looking ones.
The best mower might even be one from a neighbour where you know the history and has been running and the owner is upgrading or one sold with a house.
They are fairly easy to fix. I suspect that older ones might be better built.
Some have twin cylinder? designs, twin blades, and a fair bit of power. Mine is only 13bhp, single blade and 38inches in cut. Good enough for me. Newer ones have more power and bigger cuts.
After hand-mowing for 3 summers, I got one eventually from a friend upgrading - and moving to a bigger property. It's a 15 year old MTD - a basic 'modern generation' tractor-looking design you see a lot around the traps. It's described as a US lawn manicurer but mine does well on our 'paddock' area up and down slopes.
I actually mow the yard area by hand (pushing) still once a week as the grass grows so fast I need to mow it short and to catch the clippings - and my rideon does not have a catcher. This is the only thing I wish I had.
My wife maintains I could mow by pushing but this is over 60minutes worth of work every weekend and she does not have to do it. She maintains it will keep me from gaining weight!
Take the battery off in the winter and keep it charged. I am a big lazy See You Next Tuesday and I go through a fair few.
a) A second hand one - Ebay. 1000 dollars or below. Several hundred gets you a mess, ~700 gets you something working..?
b) A cheap, new one from a big store (even Bunnings) at a few thousand.
If your grass and area is easy then this might be the go.
c) A more expensive one from a 'sexier' manufacturer.
d) An Aussie made one for local conditions. Greenfields are popular and look simple. People like to scoff at claims about Aussie conditions but there is a lot of tough stuff out there.
Not sure about prices.
Some are geared forward and back (like mine) others have clutches which allow you to move back and forward with a pedal. Others are designed to turn in tight corners like in orchards but sort of look arse about face. My son like the 'tractor' looking ones.
The best mower might even be one from a neighbour where you know the history and has been running and the owner is upgrading or one sold with a house.
They are fairly easy to fix. I suspect that older ones might be better built.
Some have twin cylinder? designs, twin blades, and a fair bit of power. Mine is only 13bhp, single blade and 38inches in cut. Good enough for me. Newer ones have more power and bigger cuts.
After hand-mowing for 3 summers, I got one eventually from a friend upgrading - and moving to a bigger property. It's a 15 year old MTD - a basic 'modern generation' tractor-looking design you see a lot around the traps. It's described as a US lawn manicurer but mine does well on our 'paddock' area up and down slopes.
I actually mow the yard area by hand (pushing) still once a week as the grass grows so fast I need to mow it short and to catch the clippings - and my rideon does not have a catcher. This is the only thing I wish I had.
My wife maintains I could mow by pushing but this is over 60minutes worth of work every weekend and she does not have to do it. She maintains it will keep me from gaining weight!
Take the battery off in the winter and keep it charged. I am a big lazy See You Next Tuesday and I go through a fair few.
Grass catcher would be ideal to have. Most don't seem to have.
Will think more when back in Oz.
Thanks again.
Oct 4th 2013, 10:38 pm
#39
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Oct 4th 2013, 10:57 pm
#40
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
We have a 54" Toro zero-turn for the big areas (really fast and manoeuvrable) and a 36" tractor style with a catcher for the lawns.
Toro are good and have smaller models. Get one with a local supplier/repair shop for convenience. Ask for a discount or a free mini-trailer.
Toro are good and have smaller models. Get one with a local supplier/repair shop for convenience. Ask for a discount or a free mini-trailer.
Oct 5th 2013, 6:48 am
#41
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 20,821
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Thanks All.
Oct 5th 2013, 12:09 pm
#42
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
We have a 54" Toro zero-turn for the big areas (really fast and manoeuvrable) and a 36" tractor style with a catcher for the lawns.
Toro are good and have smaller models. Get one with a local supplier/repair shop for convenience. Ask for a discount or a free mini-trailer.
Toro are good and have smaller models. Get one with a local supplier/repair shop for convenience. Ask for a discount or a free mini-trailer.
sort of the 'Top Trump' in the corners.....
I envy your catcher. Apparently you can't just get a catcher, you need a corresponding deck with a device that shoots out the grass...
Oct 12th 2013, 6:00 pm
#43
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
Good chookies, nothing better than fresh eggs. Yes, Brit husband and I will move to his hometown of Liverpool. We've bought an offplan apartment that's due for completion in June 2015, although between the lack of info from the developer and the solicitor not returning emails or calls for weeks, that could go pear shaped yet!
I added 4 dark coloured sisters to the flock on Thursday. The light coloured ones were not at all impressed and wasted no time at all in laying into the shocked darkies. Extremely ruthless girl-gang behaviour too: All of them often attacking a lone darkie at once. I hate bullying and found it simply too painful to watch so frequently had to go in and separate the feuding females. The poor young darkie sisters were terrified, refusing to go down to ground level where the light old girls were aggressively strutting around the roost in combatative mood, squealing like seagulls and scratching the ground with increased vigour. Eventually I had to build a boardwalk mezzanine around the chicken run and provide two sets of food and water feeders and egg laying areas one on each level. I do notice today that the darkies are growing increasingly defiant - aiming their bowel movements at the unsuspecting lighties below as they go about their daily business. 
All a bit of a laugh, really.
Meanwhile, the darkies are producing double yolked eggs
Oct 13th 2013, 12:21 am
#44
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,217
Re: Gardening - Aussie style!
They're not such good chookies lately. I added 4 dark coloured sisters to the flock on Thursday. The light coloured ones were not at all impressed and wasted no time at all in laying into the shocked darkies. Extremely ruthless girl-gang behaviour too: All of them often attacking a lone darkie at once. I hate bullying and found it simply too painful to watch so frequently had to go in and separate the feuding females. The poor young darkie sisters were terrified, refusing to go down to ground level where the light old girls were aggressively strutting around the roost in combatative mood, squealing like seagulls and scratching the ground with increased vigour. Eventually I had to build a boardwalk mezzanine around the chicken run and provide two sets of food and water feeders and egg laying areas one on each level. I do notice today that the darkies are growing increasingly defiant - aiming their bowel movements at the unsuspecting lighties below as they go about their daily business.
All a bit of a laugh, really.
Meanwhile, the darkies are producing double yolked eggs
I added 4 dark coloured sisters to the flock on Thursday. The light coloured ones were not at all impressed and wasted no time at all in laying into the shocked darkies. Extremely ruthless girl-gang behaviour too: All of them often attacking a lone darkie at once. I hate bullying and found it simply too painful to watch so frequently had to go in and separate the feuding females. The poor young darkie sisters were terrified, refusing to go down to ground level where the light old girls were aggressively strutting around the roost in combatative mood, squealing like seagulls and scratching the ground with increased vigour. Eventually I had to build a boardwalk mezzanine around the chicken run and provide two sets of food and water feeders and egg laying areas one on each level. I do notice today that the darkies are growing increasingly defiant - aiming their bowel movements at the unsuspecting lighties below as they go about their daily business. All a bit of a laugh, really.
Meanwhile, the darkies are producing double yolked eggs
